Improvement in fare-boxes



W. E. PRALL.

FA'RE-BO'X.

Pa'gented Aug. 22,1876.

W zfzesses UNITED tS'rA'rEs PATENT Orrron.

WILLIAM E. PRALL, OF WASHINGTON, D. O., ASSIGNOR O F ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO RUFUS E. SHAPLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FAVRE'BOXES.

specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,28] dated August 22, 1876; application filed. August 2, 1876.

To all 'whom it may concrn':

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PRALL, of Washington, District of Columbia, (assignor to himself and RUFUs E. SHAI'LEY, ot' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,) have invented an Improved Fare-Box for Street-Cars and Omnibuses, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to separate each fare paid into the box from that previously paid by means of movable plates to be dropped singly upon each fare in succession when it has been counted, each plate serving as a false bottom in the box, upon which the next fare may be paid without reaching the fares which have been previously paid.

My invention has for its object, also, to prevent a felonious abstraction of the contents of the box by means of a device which will lock the plates covering' the fares whenever the box is so far reversed as to permit its contents to fall toward the aperture through which the payments are made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the fare-box; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 a transverse section in line a; w' of Fig. 1.

A is the body of the box. It consists of a simple cylinder of glass. This glass cylinder is interposed between a metallic cap, B, which closes its lower, and a metallic case, O, covering its upper, end, and is confined by means of a rod, D, secured centrally to the lower cap B, and which, extending through the cylinder and the upper case G, projects through a second cap, B', covering said upper case, and terminates with an eye to receive a bolt or a padlock, E, by means whereof these several parts are all securely locked together to constitute a complete fare-hox.

That portion of the upper caseC which covers the cylinder A is cylindrical in form, and of larger diameter than said cylinder. A curved"receiving-chamber, G', in form substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is combined therewith to open thereinto above the glass cylinder. This lateral receiving-chamber is provided with an aperture, F, to receive the fares, and is armed interiorly with serrated plates f f, (see Fig. 1,) to prevent an abstraction of the fare through the apertnre F. Gr is a short concentric cylinder, fitted and turning freely within the cylindrical portion of the case O, and provided with a handle, H, projecting outwardly therefrom through a transverse slot cut in the side of the case, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The diameter of the cylinder Gr is slightly lessl than that of the glass ,bodyA of the fare-box,over which it is placed, and its lower edge is armed with inwardlyprojecting pins 8 s. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) K K K are a number of thin metallic plates,'fitting loosely within the cylinder G, and resting upon the pins s 8. These plates are prevented from turning with the cylinder G by means of the central rod D, which is made for this purpose of an oblong section. (See Fig. 3.) Each plate Kis notched at opposite points, (see Fig. 3,) corresponding with the position of the supporting-pins s s, so that when said pins are brought into register with the notches on either of the plates, that plate will drop from the cylinder G down into the glass cylinder A below. The notches in the several plates are so cut, and the plates so placed upon the central rd D with reference to each other, as that the notches in no two of the plates in succession shall be in'register; hence a movement of the cylinder which shall operate to bring the pins into register with the notches on the lowermost plate will servev to release that plate only, and the plates may thus be readily made to drop, one at a time, by the movements of the handle H.

M is a slot cut centrally in the rod D, to receive the gravitating lock or device, composed of the swinging weight N, Ithe hooked arms R R, and the pivoted latch P. One end of the swinging weight N is pivoted centrally therein. The slot is extended above thejpivot end of the weight to receive the latch P, which is pivoted at its lower end within the slot, justabo've the pivot-point of the weight. The upper end of this latch P rests, when the weight is in an upright position, between the inwardly bent or hooked ends of two arms or strips, R R, which extend upwardly from the weight on each side thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. The entire length of this slot does not 'ex- Q l i 181,281

ceed the diameter of the inclosingeylinder A; If, now, the box be overturned, the weight N will swing' upon its pivot, carrying` with it these lateral hooked arms R R and the inclosed lateh P; but the eceentricity of. the pivoted center of the latch I) with reference to that ot' the weight N will so far shorten the latch with reference to the hooks as that its end will engage the one hool:` or the other, and tlius lock the weight in a transverse position, as illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 1; nor can it be unlocked' without removing the red D from the cylinder A. t t

In the use of this improved fare-box, as soon as a fare has been paid through the aperture F into the glass cylinder A, and

` viewed and counted therein, a movement is imparted, by means of the handle H, to the inclosed cylinder G, snfficient to bring the pins 8 8 into register with the notches in the lowermost of the plates K K, which, being' thus released, will drop to the bottoln of the glass cylinder and cover the fare therein. This plate will thus serve as aL false bottom, upon which the next fare paid will fall' and rest, and when it has in turn been viewed and eouuted, a second plate is allowed to fall, and' so on. Thus, each payment of fare maybe viewed and eounted dist-inct from all fares that have preceded it, and be then separated from that succeedin'g it. i

If at any time the box be so overturned as to adinit of shaking out the 'fares therein through the aperture F, the weight N, turning' by reason of its gravity, will swing across at an angle to the rod D, and cause the latch P to engage one of the hooked armsv R, and will be thereby secured and locked in its transverse position. The plates covering the fares will be thus confined in the lower end of the fare-box, and the farcs securely retaiued therein.

To recover the fares fromthe box it is only necessary to unlock and withdraw the padlock E and its attached rod D. The plates in the case O will remain in their cylinder G, leaving' only the plates covering the fares upon the rod D. These may now be withdrawn therefrom and replaced in the cylinder Gr, and after the rod has been replaced in position in the box and secured with the padlock, the

box is again ready for use. y

I con template making these movable or gravitatin g plates of pertbratedmetal, or thin wire- 4 gauze, or even of card-board or paper. The body A of the box may also be made partly, instead of wholly, of glass. i

I contemplate also, as an equivalent for the gravitating-plates, which are dropped verttviewed and counted, Operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.l

2. A gravit-ating lock or device, composed of the swinging weight N, the hooked arms R R, and the, pivoted latch P, all arranged and Operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. w

i W. E. PRALL.

Witnesses D. W. STUART, KARL KAsE. 

